Do you need to magnesium supplements? Half of all Americans are deficient in magnesium. Here’s how to tell if you are, and how to fix it naturally.
Magnesium is an essential mineral for your body’s main function. But according to The Magnesium Miracle, most Americans only consume half of how much total magnesium the need in a day.
What does this mean? It means a lot of us are walking around not getting nearly enough magnesium. As a group, Americans are chronically magnesium deficient.
What Does Magnesium Deficiency Look Like?
- Anxiety – Magnesium isn’t called Nature’s Chill Pill for nothing. Maintaining regular levels of magnesium can actively help lower personal stress levels.
- Migraines – Studies have shown that taking certain doses of magnesium can lead to relief in for people who suffer migraine headaches regularly. Migraine patients are also more likely to be deficient in magnesium overall.
- Pre-Menstrual Syndrome – Feel cranky around your period? Do you experience pain around that time? Magnesium is here to help balance you out. You need it, too—that time of the month can sap your magnesium much like a time of major life stress. It’s more important than ever to keep up your body’s of healthy minerals.
- Insomnia – The data is in: Magnesium actively helps people with sleep problems actively get more sleep. Not just more sleep, but better sleep than you would have without taking it. You can’t go wrong with magnesium!
- Panic Attacks – It’s the return of the Chill Pill! Stress (and working through stressful times in life) can actively eat into the body’s magnesium reserves, which can enhance the effects of magnesium deprivation. Magnesium is also highly important in maintaining steady blood sugar levels, which may lesson the intensity of panic attacks.
- Constipation – Magnesium aids greatly in the functioning of the digestive system, helping the processes that push food into the stomach and on to the later parts of the process. It can be hard for the entire system to function correctly without this key ingredient!
Now, there are several more severe symptoms of magnesium deficiency. They include IBS, fibromyalgia and heart attacks. Scary stuff! If any of the symptoms listed above pertain to you, it’s best to address the deficiency as soon as possible to prevent further damage from occurring.
My Favorite Magnesium Supplements
If you find out that you’re deficient in magnesium, don’t panic! There are many different ways to treat magnesium deficiency, all with varying strengths. Taking magnesium transdermally (topically) is one of the best ways to get this mineral into your body. These are a few different transdermal magnesium supplements:
- Magnesium oil supply 560 mg per teaspoon. I mix a drop or two of my favorite essential oils with magnesium oil and rub it on my tummy.
- Magnesium gel supply 490 mg per teaspoon. I like to keep my magnesium gel in the refrigerator. I apply the cool gel onto sore muscles after workouts.
- Magnesium lotion supply 185 mg per teaspoon.
- Magnesium bath flakes supply 1500 mg per cup. Great to add to detox baths!
Don’t forget to check your diet!
- Leafy greens
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Kelp
- Cocoa (the natural stuff!)
- Mackerel
- Wheat germ
- Whole grains
- Molasses
- Avocado
This is just a short list, featuring just some of all the foods that can help supplements your daily intake of magnesium.
There are also many good magnesium supplements, such as Natural Calm. But however you choose to take in magnesium, it’s very important that you do. Your body depends on it for well-being and general balance.
How do you get your magnesium every day? What’s your favorite way to consume magnesium? Tell me in the comments!
I eat an avocado at least four days per week!
I’ve been using magnesium spray as a deodorant for the past couple of months, but the last two days I’ve been having soreness in my armpits (I liken it to an ingrown hair). Is there such a thing as too much magnesium and should I be using this every day under my arms?
Thanks in advance!
Is there the same amount of mg of Mag in Epsom Salts as there is in the flakes? I always do the detox baths with Epsom Salts but maybe I should be using the flakes instead for optimum results?
As a mother of seven children I have personally experienced the effects of
magnesium deficiency. As a Massage Therapist I daily see the effects of deficiency in my clientele. Personally, I find that I need to take about 600mg daily to keep sypmtoms away. My symptoms include leg and toe cramps, grinding my teeth, pain/discomfort in my hip joint, restless legs, and difficulty relaxing before going to sleep. In my clientele I see signs which include, very tight muscles with constant need for deep-tissue massage, cramps, plantar faciitis, shin splits, TMJ problems, as well as the signs listed in the article above.
Magnesium helps in normal muscles function and relaxation.
While the symptoms I have listed may have other root causes, I always encourange my clientele to give magnesium a try and see if it helps.
Furthermore, magnesium lotions and sprays do not seem to have a laxative effects and Magnesium L-Threonate is a form that is also less laxative.
What brand of pills do you take?
I take magnesium citrate (I’ve had a gastric bypass). How many mg do I need to take a day? Right now I take 800 mg/day
I have a diarrhea problem so I use magnesium spray and massage it in and let my skin absorb it. My feet are my best to absorb but I do need to wear socks to bed but can take off after a few hours if I can’t fall asleep.
I don’t use any magnesium supplements because they cause diarrhea for me. I am very fond of avocados, but don’t go out of my way for the other foods in your list. How do you determine if you have enough?